RIYADH: A Saudi woman, who recently hogged media spotlight for selling tea in the street, embroiled in a trouble when local police moved to remove her roadside stall.
Jumana Makki, who had started to brew hot drinks in order to support her daughters in their university studies, took to Twitter to appeal for assistance when the authorities seized her tea stand last week.
Prince Sultan bin Salman, the head of the Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, came to her assistance, requesting the provision of a temporary kiosk for her in the Peace Festival, and a more permanent location in the King Fahd Gardens.
1️⃣
سلطان بن سلمان يوجه بركن مؤقت في مهرجان السلام للمواطنة #بائعة_الشاهي الشاي وتوفير أخر دائم بالحي التراثي بحديقة الملك فهد بالمدينة . pic.twitter.com/yBV9IAjTxe— هيئة السياحة والتراث (@SctaSa) November 25, 2016
The Commission’s official account also responded in detail to her request.
Sultan bin Salman allocated a temporary place for the tea seller at the Festival of Peace in the first week of this month and provided another permanent spot for her in the heritage district in the King Fahd Garden in Madinah, reports said.
Jumana expressed her gratitude in a tweet as well.
On the micro-blogging website, she thanked Prince Faisal bin Salman (the governor of Madinah) and Prince Sultan bin Salman “for their participation in the halting of the difficulties that I was passing through.” She writes that they were, and continue to be “a great help for me and my daughters.”
Tea-seller thanks prince on Twitter
كُل الشكر لكم 💗💗. pic.twitter.com/kZX19f8WXk
— بائعة الشاي ✨. (@j_makai11) November 26, 2016
Jumana Makki gets help from her university-going daughter in running her tea business.“I started selling tea and coffee along the road. I brew tea on firewood because it is cheap and does not require a big investment,” she said.
تم التنفيذ
مرّيت أم نايف
بائعة الشاي على طريق #جدة #المدينة
الله قدّرني إني أتمم وعدي
“وفي السماء رزقكم وما توعدون” pic.twitter.com/KP4lsF6ULt— علي الغفيلي (@alialgofaily) January 27, 2016
Makki said when she started the business, she was severely criticized by her relatives and friends who did not like the idea of a woman selling tea in the street.
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“I do not see anything wrong in doing this as long as I am looking for an income that will enable me to live with honor and dignity, especially that I am making good money from the business,” she said in an interview with Al-Arabiya.
WATCH: Saudi mother preparing tea on a roadside stall
الحمدالله 💗💗. pic.twitter.com/x1VL9U3T0n
— بائعة الشاي ✨. (@j_makai11) December 7, 2016
